Home Is In Your Arms
by xautumnrosex
Summary: When nine-year-old Emma moves to Storybrooke to be with her new foster mother, Regina Mills, she expects a drunken woman or someone who only wants her for money. But what she finds isn't either of those... it's a true mother. Sorry for the crappy summary. xD R&R!
1. A Fresh Start

"Oh, Emma, this is so exciting! A fresh start is just what you needed! And your new foster mom is very nice, I've just finished talking to her on the phone..."

Emma Swan tuned out the bubbly voice of her social worker as she gazed out the window of the black sedan. They zoomed past trees and cars and fields as they sped down the highway to Emma's newest foster home. Absentmindedly rubbing her thumb over her baby blanket, Emma wondered what _this _foster family would be like. The last couple had been alcoholics. Before them, ignorant. No matter where Emma went, she was never given attention or singled out. She wasn't special. To her foster parents, she was just like any other child. She wasn't ever their daughter or even a foster child. Just someone living in their house.

She was never _anyone's _daughter. She hoped this time would be different, but she knew it wouldn't be. It would be the same as always.

"Emma, are you listening to me?" Mrs. Robert's voice snapped Emma out of her trance-like state.

"Sorry, Mrs. Roberts. I was just looking out the window…" Emma mumbled , her voice trailing off at the end.

"Emma, look at me when you speak. And raise your voice a little."

"I SAID 'I WAS JUST LOOKING OUT THE WINDOW'." Emma yelled, getting short with the social worker. Mrs. Roberts frowned at Emma in the mirror.

"Drop the attitude, Emma. We want to make a good impression."

The two drove in silence for a while, but Mrs. Robert's resumed her chatter as they passed a sign that read; 'Welcome to Storybrooke'.

"Oh, Emma, this is so exciting! Now, it says here that your new foster mom lives on Castle Court…"

Emma gazed out the window at the small town. They passed a small diner called 'Granny's' as well as a big, boarded up building and a place called 'Mr. Gold's Pawn Shop'. The small town had a charming appeal that made Emma smile. It was a place that seemed like home.

All too soon, the pulled up in front of a large house. Emma's jaw dropped as she looked up at the mansion. She had never seen a bigger house!

Stuffing her baby blanket inside her small duffel bag, she climbed out of the car and stood next to Mrs. Roberts. The two slowly walked up to the door, and Mrs. Roberts rang the bell.

"Coming!" Emma heard a woman yell from inside.

The door opened to reveal a tall, brunette woman wearing a gray business suit. Her eyelashes were long and dark and her lips were ruby red from her lipstick. Her lips turned upward slightly as she saw Emma, but immediately turned her attention back to Mrs. Roberts.

"This is her, I assume?" She asked, speaking with a very regal manner. Mrs. Roberts nodded and nearly shoved Emma onto the doorstep.

"Yes, this is Emma. Emma Swan. She's very excited to be here." Mrs. Roberts smiled.

"Now, if you excuse me, I have other clients to attend to. Emma dear, do enjoy your stay!" She called as she half ran back to the car. Emma gave an annoyed snort and crossed her arms as her new foster mother pulled her inside the house.

"Hello, Emily, dear." The woman said, looking down at Emma.

"It's Emma." Emma mumbled.

"Louder, dear?" She asked.

"IT'S EMMA." Emma bellowed. The woman looked taken aback for a moment but chuckled slightly.

"Feisty. I like that, Emma. Would you like me to show you your room?"

Emma shrugged and slung her duffel further over her shoulder. The woman started up the stairs and Emma began to follow her, but was stopped by her new foster mother.

"Shoes off, please," She requested. Emma kicked off her beat-up old converse and proceeded to follow the woman. They went down a long hallway and finally came to a white door. She opened it to reveal a room with purple walls. The bed was in the center of the room with its' quilted comforter. A nightstand flanked it on one side with a pile of stuffed animals on the other. A white armoire sat against the side wall and there was a matching desk with a table lamp where Emma assumed she would be doing her homework.

"Wow." Emma breathed. She wasn't a girly-girl, but the room was big and it was all hers.

"I'm sorry if it's not your tastes. We could redo it, if you'd like," The woman apologized, sitting down on the bed and smoothing the comforter. Emma set her bag down on the floor and sat down next to the woman.

"It's fine, really." Emma said, gazing around at her new room. "I've never had a room to myself before."

"Oh, you poor dear," the woman murmured, placing a soft hand on Emma's cheek. Emma instinctively pulled away, but quickly murmured an apology.

"It's quite alright, dear. I should have at least introduced myself first. I'm Regina, your new foster mom. You can call me Mom, Mother, Mama, Regina.. whatever you'd like."

"Okay, Regina," Emma said slowly, trying to get used to the fact that she had a whole room and a whole _mom_ to herself.

"Should I put my stuff in the armoire?" She asked, reaching towards the handle.

"Go ahead. I'll go get dinner started. Just yell if you need anything." Regina instructed, standing up and leaving the room.

Emma managed to unpack and organize her meager belongings in record time. Once she was done, she sat down on her bed and picked up one of the stuffed animals. It looked worn, with scorched ears and a missing eye. But it gave Emma a home-y feeling, the same feeling that her baby blanket gave her. Wrapping the bear in her blanket, she hugged it to her chest and lay back against her pillow. She breathed in the bear's scent; it smelled of cinnamon.

"A cinnamon bear." She murmured to herself. She stroked it's ragged fur and closed her eyes.

"That's what I'll name you. Cinnamon."

"Emma! Dinner!" She heard Regina call from downstairs. Setting the bear down gently, she exited her room and walked down the spiral staircase. Walking from room to room, she somehow found her way to the kitchen.

"Hi." She said upon seeing Regina.

"Hi." Regina responded, smiling. She sat down at the island across from Regina and looked down at her plate.

"Macaroni and Cheese? How did you know?" Emma asked, awestruck. She spooned the cheesy pasta into her mouth and almost moaned at the deluxe texture and taste.

Regina smiled and took a bite of her own.

"Lucky guess. Do you like it? It's homemade."

"Homemade…?" Emma's eyes widened. Never in her entire life had _anyone_ made a special homemade dinner just for her. For her entire nine years, she had lived off of microwaveable dinners, instant ramen and fast food, and when she was younger, milk formula and canned baby food. Never anything homemade.

Regina nodded. "From scratch."

After a few minutes of silence, Emma couldn't resist any longer; she blurted out the question.

"Am I your first foster?"

"Are you what, darling?" Regina asked, looking up from her macaroni.

"Am I your first foster child?" She repeated, taking a sip of milk.

Regina nodded.

More silence followed. Emma and Regina both finished their food. Emma rose to clear the plates, but Regina stopped her.

"It's okay. We can alternate who does the dishes." She said, smiling. She took the plates from Emma and set the in the sink. She then pulled out a pan from the oven.

"Do you like apple pie?" Regina questioned, setting the pie on the counter and cutting a slice for both of them. Emma nodded and her face lit up. Regina smiled and slid her her piece.

"This is so good," Emma moaned. Regina smiled.

"It's homemade as well. The pie. I have an apple tree in my backyard."

Emma gazed out the window and her smile grew as she saw the tall tree.

"Awesome! I've never seen an apple tree before. Do you think I could climb it? Or could we build a tree house?" She chattered, not realizing how much she was opening up to the woman. Regina chuckled.

"Of course, darling. We could have Sheriff Graham help us put one together, if you'd like."

"Really?" Emma asked. Regina nodded. Emma smiled and took the last bite of her apple pie.

The clock struck eight. Regina looked from it to Emma.

"Time for bed!" She instructed, ushering Emma out of her chair and up the stairs.

"But it's only eight!" Emma protested.

"But we have lots to do, dear. We need to set some guideline rules and a routine."

Emma groaned, but quickly shut her mouth. She knew that if she was too much trouble for Regina she would be sent away. She really didn't want that.

Regina led Emma to a small bathroom.

"This is your bathroom. I've gone ahead and bought you some new things," She said, showing Emma a bag filled with a toothbrush, toothpaste, a hairbrush, shampoo, conditioner, body wash and deodorant. Emma didn't need the deodorant yet, but she figured it would be best to save it for later.

Next, she led Emma back to her room.

"I've bought you some new pajamas as well. I figured you'd need new ones," she explained, pulling two pairs of summer pajamas from a bag. Emma touched the soft fabric and couldn't wait to put them on.

"My room is right down the hall." She said, pointing to another white door down the hall from Emma's room.

"If you need anything in the night, I'll be there. Don't be afraid to come to me." She murmured, putting a hand on Emma's hair. Emma almost pulled away, but didn't.

"Now, go ahead and get ready for bed. I'll be right here to tuck you in when you get back." She said, smiling. Emma picked up a pair of purple pajamas and darted to the bathroom.

"This is too good to be true." She murmured to herself. She'd never had a foster home this nice. No one had ever given her her own room or new pajamas or stuffed animals or homemade meals. But they were never really her "parents". Just the family she lived with. Regina actually felt… _motherly._

Pulling off her worn-down _Gap_ shirt and hand-me-down shorts, she pulled on the silky purple pajamas. She then brushed her teeth with her new purple toothbrush and smoothed out her blonde ringlets with her new purple hairbrush.

How did this woman know she liked purple?

"It must be in my file." She decided, picking up her clothes and making her way back to her room.

She dropped her dirty clothes into the laundry bin by her door and then crawled into bed, where the covers had been pulled back by Regina.

"Has anyone ever read you a bedtime story, Emma?" Regina asked, pulling a book out from behind her. It was _Charlotte's Web _ by E.B. White. Emma shook her head and snuggled further under the covers.

"Well, that's about to change." Regina smiled. She opened the book and started at page one.

"_'Where's Papa going with that axe?' said Fern to her mother as they set the table for breakfast…'" _


	2. Cinnamon

**Thanks for all the reviews, guys! And for those of you who are asking, yes there **_**is **_**a curse and this is just a different beginning to the story we know. I hope that the story makes more sense for you now! :)**

Emma woke up with a gasp. Flailing in the sheets, she could feel something wet. A putrid odor filled the room.

"Oh, no…" she murmured. She had wet the bed. She couldn't let Regina know- surely she would send her back to the orphanage! Beginning to panic, Emma jumped out of bed and began to pull the covers back. She stripped the bed until all that was left was the mattress. Scooping the wet, stinking sheets into her arms, she dropped them into the laundry basket.

Now the only problem was her pajamas. Opening the armoire, she pulled down the other pair that Regina had gotten her and quickly changed into the soft, blue shirt and pants.

Suddenly, the hallway lit up and her door creaked open.

"No!" Emma shrieked, trying to cover the laundry basket, the pajamas on the floor and the stripped mattress all at the same time. Regina gazed down at her, a confused look on her face.

"Emma, what's wrong?" Regina asked, crouching down so that she was as tall as Emma. Emma began to cry, scared and upset.

"Please don't send me away." She sniffled, a mixture of tears and snot running down her face. "I didn't mean to, I promise!"

"Emma, what is going on?" Regina demanded. Suddenly, the dots connected for her and she realized.

"Oh, darling, did you wet the bed?"

Emma began to sob even harder and shoved her face into Regina's shoulder.

"Please don't send me back!"

Regina summoned all of her strength and took the nine-year-old in her arms.

"Emma, why would I do that?" She asked, quietly wiping the girl's nose with her sleeve. Emma looked up at her, her eyes red.

"Because I caused you trouble." She whispered. Regina smiled as Emma wrapped her legs around her foster mother's waist.

"Oh, darling, come. You can sleep in my room for the rest of the night and we'll take care of your sheets tomorrow." She murmured, carrying Emma to her room. Emma breathed a sigh of relief. She wasn't going to be sent back.

As they reached Regina's room, Regina set Emma down on her bed. Climbing into the bed, Emma pulled the covers up. She felt Regina do the same next to her.

"I'm sorry, Regina," Emma whispered. She was still on the verge of tears from her episode back in her bedroom.

Regina wrapped her arms around Emma. Emma cringed, but relaxed.

"Don't be sorry, Emma. I know you didn't mean to do it." She whispered. Emma's eyes began to close.

"Thank you." She mouthed as she fell back into a deep sleep.

When Emma woke, Regina was not next to her. Panic began to rise in her chest. What if her foster mother had gotten up to call Mrs. Roberts? What if she was on her way now?

She jumped out of bed and raced into the kitchen.

"Don't let her take me!"

Regina looked up from the waffles she was cooking. Emma's hands shook as she stood in front of her foster mother.

"Emma?"

Emma's heart pounded in her chest.

"Emma, who would take you?"

"Mrs. Roberts. Because I cause you trouble."

Regina put down the pan she was holding and crossed the room to be next to Emma.

"Emma, darling, we discussed this last night. You didn't cause me trouble, sweetheart. I'm just being a mom."

_Being a mom._ The words brought tears to Emma's eyes. She had never had a mom before. She raced forward and engulfed Regina in a hug.

"Thank you for being a mom." She whispered into Regina's shirt. Emma breathed in her foster mother's scent of apple in perfume. Regina chuckled.

"Well, darling, it's what I signed on to do, hm? Now what do you say we finish cooking these waffles and then do some back-to-school shopping?"

It was August 14th. School started in a week, Emma remembered Mrs. Roberts telling her.

"Okay." She sniffled, smiling. She sat down at the counter and watched Regina pour her a glass of orange juice and push some waffles onto her plate. Emma took a bite of the breakfast food and smiled.

"These taste a lot better than microwave waffles." She said with her mouth full. Regina laughed and sat down next to her daughter. She reached over and squeezed her hand. Emma looked up from her plate, a startled look on her face. But she smiled and squeezed it back.

After breakfast, Regina drove Emma to the town's small shopping center. She bought Emma a new Storybrooke Elementary uniform as well as some casual clothes and new shoes as well as all her school supplies that she would need for fourth grade. Afterwards, they decided to go to Granny's for lunch.

"Hello, Madam Mayor, who's this?" Ruby asked as the two girls entered the diner.

"Hello, Miss Lucas, this is my foster daughter, Emma. Emma, say hello to Ruby."

Emma waved from her position next to Regina. "Hi." She said, smiling.

Ruby walked out from behind the counter and came over to Emma.

"How old are you, Emma?"

"I'm nine," Emma said proudly, holding her head high. Ruby smiled and then led the two to an open booth.

Emma opened the menu and immediately saw what she wanted.

"Can I get a grilled cheese and a hot chocolate with cinnamon?" She asked. Regina looked up from her menu and smiled.

"Of course, darling. Why don't you go up to the counter and order for us? Tell Ruby that I'd like an iced tea and some cream of mushroom soup."

"Okay." The girl slid out of the booth and jumped onto an empty barstool.

"Hi again, Emma!" Ruby exclaimed upon seeing the girl. Emma smiled.

"Regina told me to come order for us. I want a grilled cheese and a hot chocolate with cinnamon and she wants cream of mushroom soup and an iced tea."

Ruby scribbled this down on a pad of paper and handed it to Granny, who rushed into the kitchen. Just then, the little bell on the door tinkled as it opened. In walked a woman with a dark pixie cut and a smile as radiant as the sun.

"Hi, Ruby!" She said, sitting down in the vacant barstool next to Emma. Ruby smiled and turned away from Emma.

"Mary Margaret! How are you?"

"I'm great." The woman responded, still smiling.

"Hot chocolate with cinnamon?" Ruby asked. Mary Margaret nodded and Ruby laughed.

"You are so strange, Mar. Hot chocolate in the summer?"

The woman laughed. The sound was soft and silky to Emma's ears.

"Hot chocolate is a year round drink for me, Rubes. You should know that by now!"

"Excuse me, but did you say cinnamon?"

Emma didn't even realize that the words had left her mouth until the woman- Mary Margaret- looked over at her. Something sparked in her eyes as she saw Emma but it quickly vanished.

"Why, yes I did, honey. Why do you ask?"

"Well, I like cinnamon in my hot chocolate, too," Emma mumbled, suddenly shy. Mary Margaret's smile grew.

"Wow, I thought I was the only one! Say… have we met before?" The woman asked. Emma shook her head.

"She's Regina's new foster daughter." Ruby said, setting down two trays in front of Emma. On one was her grilled cheese and hot chocolate and on the other was Regina's meal.

"Emma!" She heard Regina call. "Is the food ready yet?"

"Coming!" Emma called back. She hopped down from the barstool and began to walk away.

"Bye, Emma!" Mary Margaret called as the girl walked away. "Emma." She murmured to herself. "What a lovely name."

As Ruby handed her the hot chocolate in the to-go cup, Mary Margaret stood up and began to walk towards the door.

"Bye, Rubes. I've gotta get over to the school and get my classroom re set-up. We still on for tonight?" She asked. Ruby smiled and waved.

"You bet!"

"Emma?" Regina's voice snapped her out of her trance. "Who were you talking to?"

"Oh," Emma said, taking a bite of grilled cheese. "It was just Ruby and her friend Mary Margaret."

Emma saw Regina's eyes jump quickly away from Emma to the woman who was now leaving the diner.

"Oh, honey, I'm glad you're making friends." She said, smiling. Emma smiled, too.

"Me, too. Thanks for taking me to lunch, Mom."

_Mom. _Both Emma and Regina's hearts jumped. It was the first time Emma had said the word to anyone and truly meant it. Regina's eyes welled with tears and she reached over the table to hug her daughter.

"It was my pleasure, darling," She murmured, stroking the blonde's hair.


	3. First Day

August 21st came all too fast for Emma. Over the past week, she and Regina had begun to harvest the apples that came from her tree. They had made apple turnovers, apple pancakes, apple pies, you name it. Emma had decided to bring in a basket of apple muffins for her new teacher.

As Regina straightened the collar of Emma's blouse, Emma smiled to the mirror. Today was her first day at Storybrooke Elementary, and she was determined that it would be a good day.

"Are you excited, darling?" Regina asked, smoothing Emma's hair. Emma nodded and smiled proudly.

"Can we make an apple pie when I come home, Mom?" She asked, smoothing out a wrinkle in her skirt. Regina put an arm around her daughter's shoulder and led her downstairs.

"Of course, darling. I was thinking the same thing." She said, smiling.

Emma giggled, something only Regina could get out of her. Since coming to Storybrooke, Emma had come out of her shell and opened up to her new mother.

"Are you ready?" Regina asked, handing Emma her purple backpack. Emma slung it over her shoulders, grabbed the basket of muffins off the counter and nodded.

On the way to school, Emma was too excited to talk. In the back of the car, she fidgeted with her backpack straps. Regina smiled as she gazed at her daughter's reflection in the front mirror.

As the car pulled up to Storybrooke Elementary, Emma nearly jumped out of her seat. As Regina put the car in park, Emma pulled the door open and jumped out.

"You remember what to do, right?" She asked, looking up at her daughter proudly.

"I got to the front office since I'm new. They'll tell me who my teacher is." She repeated the words that her Mother had told her a thousand times. Regina smiled and leaned over to hug her daughter.

"Bye, Emma!" She said, waving to the girl as she ran up to the school.

"Bye, Mom!" She called back.

"Um, hi."

The office receptionist looked up from the papers she was reading to see Emma standing in front of her desk.

"Hello, dear." The woman said, taking off her glasses. "What can I do for you?"

"I'm Emma S- Mills. Emma Mills. I'm new here." She said, absentmindedly curling a piece of her hair around her finger.

The woman looked down at the papers she was holding.

"Ah, yes, Emma Mills. You're in fourth grade, correct?"

Emma nodded.

"Then you'll be in Miss Blanchard's class. Here's a map of the school. I've circled Miss Blanchard's room and made an 'x' on the front office, where we are now."

Emma took the paper from the receptionist's hand gratefully, and turned to leave.

"Thank you." She said, smiling at the woman. The woman smiled back.

"Now, run along, dear. You don't want to be late now, hm?"

Emma was so excited! Dashing out of the front office, she took an immediate left, like the map said. She then came to a hallway with two doors. On the map, the left door was the door to Miss Blanchard's room.

As Emma turned the knob, her heart pounded. In this room was her new teacher, as well as many students who she hoped would become her new friends.

Miss Blanchard's classroom was amazing! Each desk had a different colored composition notebook on top of it as well as a new, unsharpened pencil. There were birdhouses on the ledges of the unopened windows, and in one corner, a rocking chair and a rainbow colored rug. There were shelves and shelves of books and cubbies and coathooks for each child's coat and belongings. It was a lot to take in.

"Oh! Emma, hello, dear!" Miss Blanchard said, rushing over to greet the girl. As Emma gazed around the classroom, she noticed that she was the first one here. She then turned her attention back to the teacher that was standing in front of her.

"Mary Margaret?"

Miss Blanchard laughed. "Well, here you'll have to call me Miss Blanchard, but, yes, that's me."

A bell rang, and suddenly the door opened and at least a dozen kids came pouring in. Noise filled the formerly silent classroom.

"Class," Miss Blanchard said, crossing her arms. The chatter continued.

"CLASS!"

The room fell silent. Miss Blanchard cleared her throat.

"Now, students, if you could all choose a desk?" She asked politely, pointing to the wooden desks behind them. "We'll be giving out cubbies later, you can keep your things with you for now."

Emma looked around the room and saw a girl with straight, dark hair sit down in the front row. Emma smiled and chose a seat next to her.

"Hi." She said to the girl as she sat down.

"Go away." The girl snapped, shoving her things inside her desk and then turning to a girl behind her.

"Hi, Janie!" She heard the girl say. Emma sighed and unzipped her backpack. This was going to be a long day.

"Now, class, as you can see, I've left each of you a composition notebook and a pencil. This notebook is going to be our journal for the year. We're going to write our first entry today as soon as I take attendance!"

Miss Blanchard opened up a green folder and began calling out names.

"Tyler?"

"Here!"

The list went on.

"Jane?" Miss Blanchard called. The girl diagonal from Emma raised her hand.

"Here!"

"Roseanna?" Miss Blanchard called. The girl next to Emma smiled and raised her hand.

"Here, Miss Blanchard. But you can call me Rose. Everyone does." Miss Blanchard smiled.

"Emma?" Miss Blanchard called. Emma grinned and raised her hand proudly.

"Here!"

Miss Blanchard quickly made a small 'check' next to Emma's name and shut the folder.

"Now, onto our first activity! Class, open your journals to the first page and take out your colored pencils. Today, we're going to be writing a little bit about ourselves!"

Emma smiled and took out the pack of twenty-four colored pencils from her backpack. This was going to be fun!

"I want you to draw a picture of you and your family to share with the class, and then write some other things about you, like your favorite color and how old you are."

A boy in the back snorted.

"Drawing pictures is for babies, Miss Blanchard!"

Miss Blanchard crossed her arms and gave the boy a stern look.

"Anyone can do _art_, Mister Rosenthal. If I do recall, your grade report from last year said that you got a-pluses in all your art classes?"

The boy was silent after that.

"Now," Miss Blanchard said with a smile. "Let's get to work!"

Emma took out her colored pencils and drew two stick figures holding hands. One had blonde curls and the other had cropped, dark hair. She then drew herself wearing a purple shirt and jeans and Regina with one of her dresses. She colored in some green grass and drew their beautiful apple tree in the background. Then, below the picture, she took her purple colored pencil and wrote a little bit about herself.

"Time's up!" Miss Blanchard suddenly called. Emma gazed up from her notebook to see Miss Blanchard rolling a projector into the room. "Now, who would like to go first?"

Emma's hand shot into the air. Some kids in the back laughed.

"Emma, how about you?" Miss Blanchard said with a smile. Emma nearly jumped out of her chair as she grabbed her notebook. Rushing to the front of the classroom, she put her picture under the projector.

"My name is Emma Mills. I live with my mom, Regina-"

"She's not your real mom!" A girl called from the back. "She just took you in because your real parents didn't want you!"

Emma's cheeks burned.

"Roseanna!" Miss Blanchard scolded. "We do _not _say things like that to our classmates! Go sit in the beanbag corner and think about what you've said."

Roseanna pouted and dragged herself over to the corner.

"Emma, go on," Miss Blanchard encouraged.

"I live with my mom, Regina. We have an apple tree in our backyard."

Miss Blanchard motioned for her to go on.

"I'm nine years old. I turn ten on October 22nd and my favorite color is purple."

Miss Blanchard beamed and clapped.

"Well done, Emma!"

Emma smiled up at her teacher as she collected her notebook from the projector.

The presentations continued on until a bell rang for lunch.

"We're having outdoor lunch today!" Miss Blanchard called over the chaos. "Go ahead and find a spot outside!"

Everyone raced outside except for Emma. She cautiously approached the teacher with a basket of muffins.

"Uh, Miss Blanchard?"

The teacher turned around to face Emma. She held out the basket to the woman.

"Oh, Emma, are these for me?"

Emma nodded and Miss Blanchard beamed.

"Oh, thank you! They look delicious!"

Miss Blanchard reached out to hug the girl and Emma let the woman enfold her into her arms. She loved her teacher and she had a sort of motherly feeling to her.

The warning bell rang as they broke apart.

"Why don't you head outside for lunch, Emma?" Miss Blanchard asked, picking up a fabric lunchbox. "It's a nice day."

Emma nodded and grabbed her purple lunchbox from her desk. Miss Blanchard chuckled as she raced out the door.

Gazing around at the playground, Emma saw an open swing next to Roseanna and her friend Jane. Emma decided she would try to say hello one more time.

"Hi!" The words barely escaped her lips before the two girls got up and walked away. Emma sighed and sat down on the swings by herself, alone.

"No one likes me." She sighed, opening her lunchbox and taking out her ham sandwich. She let the wind gently push her back and forth as she took a bite.

As she finished her sandwich she noticed the kids start to play. She saw some boys trying to play kickball, and the girls were doing the monkeybars. Emma decided she would try kickball.

She approached the boy at the back of the line.

"Can I play?" She asked. The boy smiled.

"Sure. I'm Will."

"Emma." She responded, getting in line next to him.

One by one, the boys kicked the ball and ran the bases. Soon it was Emma's turn.

The pitcher stared.

"Well, come on!" Emma cried, becoming impatient. "Give me the ball!"

The pitcher rolled her a cherry-bomb. Emma kicked it hard. It flew over the boy's head. She ran.

"Go, Emma!" She heard Will yell. She quickly passed first base, and then second. Just as she was about to get to third, she tumbled to the ground. The kids erupted into a chorus of laughter. Emma let out a cry as she saw a puddle of blood start to pool on the ground.

"Miss Blanchard!" Will yelled. The teacher rushed over to where Emma was sprawled on the ground.

"Everybody, out of the way!" Miss Blanchard commanded. She crouched down next to Emma, her eyes flitting from the pool of blood to the girl.

"What happened?"

"I saw it, Miss Blanchard, I saw it! Someone tripped Emma!" Will cried, anxiously looking down at his teacher and new friend.

"Emma, where does it hurt?"

Emma pointed to her knee, a trail of tears running down her face. Miss Blanchard gently took Emma's knee in her hands. Emma whimpered as she saw how large the cut was.

"Can you walk to the nurse?" Miss Blanchard asked, gently wiping a tear off of Emma's cheek. Emma shook her head. Her knee throbbed in pain.

Miss Blanchard quickly called over another female teacher.

"I need to take her inside, can you watch my class?" She asked. The woman nodded and went to engage the boys in a new game of kickball.

"Emma, I'm going to take you inside, okay? The nurse is going to patch up your knee."

Emma nodded, the tears making her vision blurry. Miss Blanchard picked up the small nine year old and rushed her into her classroom. She set Emma down on her (Miss Blanchard's) desk. She quickly picked up the phone and punched in some numbers. After a few moments of silence, she slammed the phone onto the receiver.

"For heaven's sake! The nurse decides to take a day of extra vacation.." she let out a huff and stormed over to a closet. Emma sniffled.

"Don't worry, Emma. I have a first aid kit. We can fix your knee up right here! Does that sound good, hm?" Emma nodded. Miss Blanchard set the box down next to Emma and took out a small bottle of iodine.

"Emma, I'm going to clean your cut, okay? It's going to hurt, but focus on me. Don't think about the pain."

Emma closed her eyes and Miss Blanchard began to sing.

"_You are loved just as you are,_

_ You are loved just as you are,_

_ Can you feel it in your precious heart?_

_ You are loved just as you are,_

_ You are safe, you are home,_

_ You are held, you are never alone.."_

Miss Blanchard's voice was soothing and it made Emma want to sink into sleep.

"_The light you are could make angels sing,_

_ So grateful for the joy and love you bring..._

_ You are loved just as you are,_

_ You are loved just as you are…"_

The dull pain Emma had been feeling suddenly stopped.

"We're all done, Emma," Miss Blanchard murmured. Emma opened her eyes to see a large, cotton bandage wrapped around her knee.

She sniffled and looked up at her teacher.

"Thank you, Miss Blanchard. You have a pretty voice."

The woman smiled.

"Thank you, Emma. My mother taught me that song."

The two were quiet for a few minutes.

"Miss Blanchard, do you have any kids?" Emma suddenly wondered. Miss Blanchard's eyes misted.

"Once upon a time, I did." She whispered. "They told me that my beautiful baby girl died while I was in labor."

"I'm so sorry," Emma murmured.

"No." Miss Blanchard straightened. "I shouldn't be telling you this. It's probably against school rules."

"Well, you would have been a great mom." Emma reassured her.

Miss Blanchard gave her a sad smile.

"Thank you, honey."


	4. I Won't Fall

Emma burst into tears as soon as she opened the door.

"Mommy!" She yelled, throwing her backpack to the floor and running to Regina, who was in the kitchen slicing apples.

"Emma?" The woman's voice was filled with confusion as her crying daughter ran to her. Regina wrapped her arms around the girl and planted a small kiss on the top of her head.

"What's wrong, my darling?" She asked, leading the sobbing Emma to the couch. Once there, she pulled her daughter onto her lap and brushed her tears away.

"Mom, t-the k-k-kids in my class," she sobbed. "Th-they don't like me." She shoved her face into Regina's blouse continued crying. Regina stroked her hair.

"There, there, darling." She whispered. "It'll be okay."

Emma looked up at her mother, her eyes red. She shook her head and looked down, her tiny body trembling as she sobbed.

"Emma." Regina took her daughter's face in her hands. Emma looked up at her mother and sniffled. "Can you tell me what happened?"

Emma sniffled and pressed the tip of her thumb against her lips.

"The girls made fun of me. T-the boys tripped me when I tried to play with them."

"Did you make any friends from other classes?" Regina asked, trying to be hopeful. Emma gave a small nod.

"H-he's in m-my class. His name is W-Will."

Regina sighed with relief on the inside. "What about your teacher?" She asked, putting a stray curl behind her daughter's ear. "Do you like her?"

She sniffled and gave Regina a small smile. "I like Miss Blanchard. She's really nice."

Emma felt Regina stiffen at the mention of Mary Margaret Blanchard, but the mayor quickly relaxed.

"I'm glad you think that, sweetheart. So you don't want to switch classes?" Regina asked. Emma shook her head and stood up.

"No, Mom. I want to show them that I don't care what they think. I want to be strong, like you."

Regina felt her heart swell at her daughter's words. She pulled her daughter in for a hug, tears of joy creeping out of the corners of her eyes.

"I love you so much, honey. You know that, right?" She asked, stroking Emma's hair. A small sob escaped from Emma.

"No one's ever said that to me before." She croaked, looking up at Regina with a huge smile on her face.

"I love you, Mama." She murmured, choosing a more affectionate title for Regina. Regina began to cry tears of happiness.

"So, what do you say we make that apple pie?" She asked, standing up. Emma grinned.

"Yeah! Can I pick the apples?" Emma asked, bouncing with excitement. Regina smiled and nodded. She took her daughter's hand and led her outside, to the apple tree. The beautiful plant towered over them, it's ruby red apples gleaming in the sunlight.

Emma dashed ahead of Regina and wrapped her arms around the tree. Regina laughed and set down a bucket for the apples.

"I guess you could say I'm a tree-hugger." Emma joked, now putting her foot on a knot in the tree. When she saw that it was steady, she grabbed onto a higher knot and hoisted herself onto the trunk.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Regina asked, beginning to worry. Emma looked back at her mother and nodded.

"Yeah, Mom. I'm sure." She said as a huge grin spread across her face. Reaching for the first branch, she pulled herself up and began to climb.

Regina wanted to look away as the blonde jumped from branch to branch. Every so often, she would toss down an apple as she climbed higher and higher. Suddenly, she heard something crack in the tree.

"Mom?" Emma called, her voice quiet and far away.

_Oh, my God, _Regina thought, biting her nails in anxiety. _She's going to fall! _

"Yes, darling?" She called up the tree, her voice filled with worry.

"I think I climbed too high." Emma's voice was a note too high and filled with worry. Regina sighed with relief, but a moment later the worry resumed. Then, her maternal instincts kicked in. Pulling off her heels, she dashed towards the tree and began to climb, starting with the same knot Emma did.

"I'm coming up, baby!" She called, quickly scaling the branches.

"Mom." Emma called again, her voice now filling with anxiety. Regina heard a crack. "Mom!" Emma screamed, another crack following.

"Stay where you are!" Regina commanded, fighting her way through branches and leaves. "I'm coming!"

A loud _crack! _made Regina freeze. "Emma?" She called up the tree. She could hear Emma's shaking breaths.

"Mom." She whispered. "The branch is gonna break." The girl shook with fear. "Hurry, please!" She called, her voice a little louder.

"I'm coming as fast as I can!" Regina called, now jumping from branch to branch. She could see Emma's curls ten feet above her.

"Mom!" Emma screamed, followed by a loud _crack_ as the tiny branch broke. Emma's small body had been too much for it. Emma let out a scream and clung to the trunk.

"Emma." Regina called, trying to stay calm. "Is there a branch below you?"

"Yes." Emma said, her voice barely more than a whisper.

"I need you to jump down." She said. "I'm right here. I'll catch you if you fall."

Emma's breath caught in her throat. "Mom, I can't." She said, panic rising in her voice. She burst into tears and clung to the trunk.

"I'm coming!" Regina called. Emma was now closer than ever. She could see the blonde's shaking body wrapped around the trunk.

Regina wrapped her arms around the last branch before Emma, and hoisted herself up. Making sure it was steady, she stood. She saw Emma above her.

"Darling, I need you to let go." She said, trying to make her tone as calm as possible. "I'm right below you. I'll catch you."

"No." Emma sobbed. "I can't, I can't."

"No." Regina said, her voice full of strength. "You _can_. Pretend that those girls are watching you. Show them that you can do it. _Show them_ that you're stronger than them!"

Emma sobs slowed.

"Emma?" Regina called. The brunette watched anxiously as her daughter slowly lightened her grip on the trunk.

"That's it, Emma,"

And then, she let go. With a scream, Emma tumbled through the air and landed in Regina's arms.

"Mom." The girl began to sob upon seeing Regina's face. "Mom, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to go this high."

"Shh, it's okay. You're here now." Regina soothed, sitting down on the branch. Emma laid her head in her mother's lap and sobbed. Regina stroked the girl's hair and admired their position in the tree.

"I think we've found our treehouse spot." Regina mused. Emma looked up, her eyes red.

"Really? We can actually build a treehouse?" She asked, wiping her nose on her sleeve and brushing the tears off of her face. Regina smiled and held her baby girl close.

"Of course, darling. I mean what I say. Would you like us to build a treehouse?" She asked, her heart swelling as she saw Emma's smile grow.

Emma nodded excitedly and plucked an apple from their branch. She bit into it and grinned at the complex and juicy flavor. Regina took one as well, and the two sat in the tree for hours, eating apples and enjoying each other's company.

"Mom, I think we have a problem." Emma noted as the sun began to set. "Make that two." She added.

Regina looked up at her standing daughter's figure.

"What's that, darling?" She asked, standing up as well.

"One, we missed dinner." Regina chuckled. Her daughter never missed a meal. "Two- how do we get down?"

Regina looked down through the branches and felt her chest constrict. She looked back up at her daughter and put her brave face on. She needed to do this for Emma.

"Getting down is easier than getting up." She insisted, beginning to climb down the tree. "I'll go first so that I can catch you if you fall."

"But what if you fall?" Emma asked, her voice filled with anxiety. Regina laughed and jumped down to the next branch.

"I won't fall, Emma. I'll be here for you the whole time. I won't leave you."

Emma suddenly felt braver. Beginning to climb down the tree, she followed her mother's strong and tall figure.

When they reached the ground, Emma ran to Regina and wrapped her arms around her. She breathed in her mother's scent of apples mixed with perfume and relaxed.

"It was a good day." She murmured, gazing up at the apple tree and the sunset. Regina took her daughter's hand in hers and smiled.

"It was." She agreed.

After a few minutes of silence, Emma looked up at her mother.

"Can we still have dinner?" She asked. "I'm starving!"

Regina laughed and opened the door for her daughter. "Why not? I think I'm just as hungry as you." She teased. "You go get your shower. I'll make some pasta for us."

"Okay!" Emma nodded. She bolted towards the stairs the minute she set foot in the house. Regina chuckled and went to the kitchen. As she boiled the water, she could hear her daughter belting out song after song in the shower. Regina smiled. For most of them, she could only hear the melody. But for one in particular, she could hear the words.

"_You are loved just as you are,_

_You are loved just as you are,_

_Can you feel it in your precious heart?_

_You are loved just as you are,_

_You are safe, you are home,_

_You are held, you are never alone,_

_The light you are could make angels sing,_

_So grateful for the joy and love you bring..._

_You are loved just as you are,_

_You are loved just as you are…"_

Regina had never heard the song before and wondered where her daughter had learned it, but she shrugged it off as she strained the pasta and set the kitchen table. Ten minutes later, Emma came down the stairs, her curly hair put up in a bun and wearing a t-shirt and athletic shorts.

"Yum!" She said, digging into her pasta. Regina smiled and took a bite of her own.

"Would you like to watch a movie after dinner?" Regina asked, watching Emma drain the last of her milk from the glass. Emma perked up, her eyes gleaming.

"Would I ever!" She exclaimed, rushing to put her dishes in the sink. Regina chuckled and followed suit as she finished her own meal. When Regina made her way to the family room, she found Emma already there, digging through Regina's vast movie cabinet.

"Oh!" She exclaimed as she came to Regina's small library of Disney movies- Snow White, Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast..

"Can we watch The Lion King?" she asked, holding the DVD in front of Regina.

"Sure. I'll get it all set up." Regina quickly put the disc in the DVD player and pushed the play button on the remote.

Emma was asleep within the first half-hour. As the movie ended, Regina looked over and saw her daughter curled up next to her. She looked so peaceful.

Not wanting to wake the girl up, Regina scooped her into her arms and gently and briskly scaled the steps. When she got to Emma's room, she one-handedly undid the bed and gently set Emma down on her pillow. She pulled the covers up over her little girl's body and placed one of her stuffed animals, an orange cat, next to her. She watched Emma's chest rise and fall with each breath, noticed the light bounce off of her dark eyelashes, gazed at her blonde ringlets sprawled out over the pillow. She watched her sweet child sleep for at least an hour, until it was her own bedtime and she forced herself to leave Emma's room.

Leaning down, she kissed her daughter on the forehead.

"Sleep tight, my love." She murmured, turning off the light as she left the room. She made sure to leave on the small nightlight that Emma liked.

As Regina slipped into her pajamas, her thoughts never once drifted from Emma. She worried- what if Emma had nightmares? What if someone broke into their house and Emma was alone? In the end, Regina decided to go check on her once more.

She breathed a sigh of relief as she opened Emma's door. Her daughter was still there, asleep peacefully. Her chest still rose and fell with each breath; the light still caught on her eyelashes and her hair was still sprawled out over the pillow. The only thing that had changed was that Emma had wrapped her fingers around the cat in her sleep.

Regina couldn't bear to leave her daughter. She wanted to hold her close and snuggle up next to her; she wanted to keep her safe and warm. So, in the end, Regina undid the covers on the other side of the bed and crawled in next to her little girl.

"Good-night, my darling." She murmured as she turned off the lamp next to her and settled herself onto the pillow. She felt Emma move slightly next to her, and watched as Emma's hand moved from the cat towards Regina. She caught Regina's hand that was on top of the covers in her own and she wrapped their fingers together.

"I love you, Mom." She murmured in her half-conciousness.

Regina smiled as she fell asleep.


End file.
